Just Outside the Ice Cream Store

I love summer.   I love the freedom that warmth brings.  I love having my windows open to hear the birds and connect with neighborhood children laugh as they play outside.  I hate air conditioning much to my family’s dismay, even on those 90-degree days. (Don’t judge me, I’m just being honest.) I love not having to layer clothing, the candy-like taste of cherry tomatoes just off the vine, and the sweetness of locally grown white corn on the cob.  Truly, I survive the closed up winter months knowing the promise of summer will eventually arrive.This morning when I was sitting outside reading the newspaper, I found myself hearing the locus collectively sing the anticipation of change.  Every August, their song reminds me that school busses will weave again through our neighborhood side streets.   There’s talk of who will be the starting quarterback for The Ohio State University football team.  Sweaters and plaid wool skirts line store racks.  I find myself saying, “No!  Stop!  I’m just getting warmed up!”Recently I’ve discovered a treatment for my end of summer blues.  I go to the neighborhood ice cream store.  Whether traditional chip, soft serve or frozen custard, trips to the ice cream store epitomize the experience of summer.  Decadent hot chocolate sauce, luscious and rich caramel, or nose tickling whipped cream can make even the most cynical take pause.  My choice these days is to get a simple scoop of ice cream on a traditional sugar cone.  Turning the cone from side to side trying to catch the melting drips with an eager tongue can be delightful and fun.More encouraging are the smiles shared by those who gather to enjoy their own summertime ice cream experience.  Young children ride up on their bikes parking just outside the shop door dangling their helmet straps from the bike handlebars.  Their parents, a few steps behind, encourage them to politely hold the door for those who already have ice cream in tow. The kids, however, are anxious in deciding what flavor they will get, pleading for two scoops.  You can see the excitement in their jumping feet.

Groups of young teens hang out, ice cream in one hand cell phone in the other laughing and sharing the instantaneous updates from the world of social media. Their giggles reflect their friend-centered world, a world that many of us remember. Others help the walker-assisted elderly navigate their entrance with safety in mind. There is relief when instability of their gait meets the security of a chair allowing a deep breath. Anticipation of the sweet reward makes even a difficult journey worth it.

Couples of all ages show up in attire reflecting the relaxation of the day having shed the suits and heels for t-shirts and flip-flops. Everyone is friendly as they linger in the still warmed air of August evenings sharing ease in conversations. The chatter admiring babies in strollers, predicting when the next rain will be, or finding out that you work with that person’s neighbor fill in the crevices of our individual stories which for me, brings comfort knowing such warm evenings are numbered. Life is always better shared with others, especially with ice cream. Its funny, when I’m outside the ice cream store, I don’t hear the locus sing. Maybe ice cream encourages Mother Nature to put off any chill just one more day. The chill after all, is better left inside the cone. There is plenty of warmth just outside the ice cream store. Black raspberry chip anyone?